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Home Health A to Z
Piles (haemorrhoids)
Piles (haemorrhoids) are lumps inside and around your bottom (anus). They often get better on their own after a few days. There are things you can do to treat and prevent piles.
Check if it's piles
Symptoms of piles include:
bright red blood after you poo
an itchy anus
feeling like you still need to poo after going to the toilet
mucus in your underwear or on toilet paper after wiping your bottom
lumps around your anus
pain around your anus
See what piles look like
How you can treat or prevent piles
Do
drink lots of fluid and eat plenty of fibre to keep your poo soft
wipe your bottom with damp toilet paper
take paracetamol if piles hurt
take a warm bath to ease itching and pain
use an ice pack wrapped in a towel to ease discomfort
gently push a pile back inside
keep your bottom clean and dry
exercise regularly
cut down on alcohol and caffeine (like tea, coffee and cola) to avoid constipation
Don’t
do not wipe your bottom too hard after you poo
do not ignore the urge to poo
do not push too hard when pooing
do not take painkillers that contain codeine, as they can cause constipation
do not take ibuprofen if your piles are bleeding
do not spend more time than you need to on the toilet
Ask a pharmacist about treatment for piles
A pharmacist can suggest:
creams to ease the pain, itching and swelling
treatment to help constipation and soften poo
cold packs to ease discomfort
Many pharmacies have private areas if you do not want to be overheard.
Find a pharmacy
Non-urgent advice:
See a GP if:
you have piles and there's no improvement after 7 days of treatment at home
you keep getting piles
The GP may prescribe stronger medicines for piles or constipation.
Information:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) update: how to contact a GP
It's still important to get help from a GP if you need it. To contact your GP surgery:
visit their website
use the NHS App
call them
Find out about using the NHS during COVID-19
Urgent advice:
Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
you have piles and your temperature is very high or you feel hot and shivery and generally unwell
you have pus leaking from your piles
You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.
Hospital treatment for piles
If there's no improvement to your piles after home treatments, you may need hospital treatment.
Talk to your doctor about the best treatment for you. Treatment does not always prevent piles coming back.
Treatment without surgery
Common hospital treatments include:
rubber band ligation: a band is placed around your piles to make them drop off
sclerotherapy: a liquid is injected into your piles to make them shrink
electrotherapy: a gentle electric current is applied to your piles to make them shrink
infrared coagulation: an infrared light is used to cut the blood supply to your piles to make them shrink
You'll be awake for this type of treatment, but the area will be numbed.
You should be able to go home on the same day.
If these treatments do not work, you may need surgery to remove your piles.
Surgery
Surgical treatments include:
haemorrhoidectomy: your piles are cut out
stapled haemorrhoidopexy: your piles are stapled back inside your anus
haemorrhoidal artery ligation: stitches are used to cut the blood supply to your piles to make them shrink
You'll usually need to be asleep for this type of treatment and may need to stay in hospital for more than 1 day.
Immediate action required:
Go to A&E or call 999 if you have piles and:
you're bleeding non-stop
there's a lot of blood – for example, the toilet water turns red or you see large blood clots
you're in severe pain
What we mean by severe pain
What causes piles?
Piles are swollen blood vessels. It's not clear what causes them.
Things that make piles more likely:
constipation
pushing too hard when pooing
heavy lifting
pregnancy
Find out more about piles during pregnancy
Page last reviewed: 28 March 2022
Next review due: 28 March 2025
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